Part of Your World
by mermaidiagal204
Summary: Ariel and Peter have been friends since they were young. But one ordinary day becomes extraordinary when Ariel begins to feel something that will change their friendship forever: love. Is it possible that Peter is going through the same thing as Ariel? Will the feud between Hook and Peter finally end? Will Ariel choose Peter or Eric? RATED T TO BE SAFE FOR VIOLENCE AND ROMANCE!
1. Chapter 1: What is This Feeling?

Author's note: HELLO! This is the first chapter of "Part of Your World"! Before you read, it's good to know that the setting is a mixture of Neverland and the "real world" (Ariel's ocean and shore). Ariel goes up and sees yet another battle between Peter and Captain Hook. Then Eric comes into the picture, immediately falling in love with her. But the more she looks at the battle, she starts to have this particular feeling and is confused about this feeling, which causes her to leave with a big splash (pun intended). The title of this chapter is a song title from the musical "WICKED". I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, WICKED (for the chapter title) OR ANYTHING RELATED! ENJOY! :D ©

* * *

The waves were in full momentum as Ariel rose up to the surface. Her perfectly placed sea-flower was moving along with the current of the sea. Ariel swam through a few schools of Angelfish, Convict Tang, and Green Chromis fish. In the school of the Convict Tang fish, Flounder was swimming with the rest of his species, but then saw Ariel going towards the harbor. He swam as fast as his little body could go to catch up with Ariel. She paddled her fins faster, ready to see yet another fight between Peter Pan, her best friend, and Captain James Hook, the "land-villain". The sunlight gave Ariel a tingling feeling on her skin as she swam to her rock and began to watch the scene. Peter used his dagger to counterattack Hook's blows, laughing with confidence while the "old codfish" waved his hook at him.

"Get back here you coward!", Captain Hook shouted, noticing Flounder and Ariel on her rock, "We have an audience". Peter flew back towards Hook, with dagger in hand, and with little effort, he shoved Hook to one of the walls on the ship. Ariel grinned and rolled her eyes, knowing that their hatred for one another would never fade.

"Hi Ariel!" Peter called out. His acorn-colored eyes shimmered with mischief as he flew towards her. Ariel beamed at the sight of her flying friend and waved at him. Peter flew to the rock and began to have a conversation about human objects with Ariel and Flounder. Unbeknownst to them both, Hook ordered his crew to bring out "Old Tom"; a gigantic, deadly cannon full of ammo, which was used beforehand to knock down Wendy, John, and Michael out of the sky when they first visited Neverland.

"Open fire!" Hook ordered. Cannon balls flew from the cannon and were shot towards Ariel. Ariel, on the other hand, was giggling at one of Peter's jokes when a cannon ball was heading right for her head. She gasped, shut her eyes tight, and hid her face. Ironically, Ariel felt light as a feather.

"Am I dead?!" she thought. Ariel opened her eyes and uncovered her face to discover that she was floating in the air. She screamed, but was soon reassured by Peter, who was holding her the entire time. Ariel trembled in his arms; his tan, muscular arms. She felt her face heat up as Peter held her close to his chest. Their eyes met each other's gaze as they levitated upwards into the sky. Their gaze ended abruptly when they heard swords clashing and cannons booming. Peter floated down and gently put Ariel onto the warm sand of the shore. Ariel now saw a armada ship that was merely two time bigger than Captain Hook's miniature vessel.

"You're being put back into custody Hook. A dungeon awaits for you." a voice called out. On the deck of the armada ship, there was a man in his early twenties with black, silky locks, crystal-blue eyes, and a strong body built. It was the Prince; Prince Eric to be precise. He drew out his sword and pointed it in Hook's direction. However, since the ship was able to float above the water, Hook put his sails up, causing the boat to escape.

"Haha, you fool! You forget that my ship's covered with pixie dust. Muwhahaha!" Hook declared, sailing away. Peter groaned and shook his head in disappointment over what happened in the past. Meanwhile, Ariel rolled herself into the harbor and let her fins rejuvenate in the warm, salty water. She hugged herself, imagining someone or something holding her. Goosebumps flooded her arms as she stared at Peter, who was circling the armada ship.

"_What's the matter with me? Why do I feel so...shy?" _Ariel thought. She shook her head, trying to get rid of any unfamiliar thoughts. Out of confusion, Ariel jumped into the air and dived underwater, propelling straight down to the depths of the sea. When she did that, it caught the attention of Peter and Eric. A gleam glazed over Eric's eyes; a gleam of desire, curiosity, and love at first sight. Peter, however, was at a loss of her departure.


	2. Chapter 2: Complicated

Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm so glad to put up the second chapter of "Part of Your World". Here's the description! It's been a few days since Ariel has come up from Atlantica to see Peter and he gets worried/concerned about her. It gets to the point where Peter skips out on battles with Hook on purpose and ignores the Lost Boys. I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, or ANYTHING RELATED! ENJOY! :D ©

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_The Shores of Neverland_

Peter played a low, melancholy melody on his pitch-pipe as he gazed at the sea. His eyes were closed, reliving the moment of when Ariel dived into the ocean, not even saying goodbye to him at all. Peter put his pipe down next to himself on the smooth sand as he looked up at the clouds. Throughout the day, he made out pictures with the clouds. A couple of times, Peter could point out different things, such as wild animals, ships, and the regular treasure chests. However, one cloud took the form of a head; which was covered with long, flowing hair. This cloud alone made him constantly think of Ariel and her whereabouts.

"_Ariel, where could you be? I miss you." _Peter thought. He sighed, but then saw a sea-flower that was washed up within sea-foam. Peter grabbed it and could smell the scent of Ariel ring throughout his nose. To his dismay, he heard a ship come near shore; Hook's ship.

"So posthaste, a worthy opponent." Hook called out. Peter rolled his eyes and began to fly towards The Dead Man's Tree, his secret hideout. Hook, was shocked at the sight of Peter not even making an attempt to have a duel with him.

"Where do you think you're going? We're supposed to fight-" Hook yelled, but Peter was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

_The Dead Man's Tree_

"Peter! Peter Pan!" yelled Tootles. Tootles looked high and low throughout the underground hide out, searching for the leader of the group. Roots of the Dead Man's Tree cascaded over the ceiling as he looked. After many attempts, he called for the Twins, Nibs, Slightly, and the boisterous Cubby. The rest of the Lost Boys rushed in and put themselves into a army-like position, with Tootles facing them.

"Alright boys, we know something's up with Peter. But what is it really?" Tootles asked aloud. The Twins looked at one another and began whispering possible ideas. Slightly started to suck his thumb, but then tried to get into the Twins' conversation. A minute passed and the entire hide-out was full of noise, voices overlapping each other. Cubby, however, stayed quiet and waited for the right timing to say his idea. But alas, Cubby was known to be the most impatient, yet quick to the point when answering questions. He pushed his way through the Lost Boys and chirped ,"I have an idea! Is it because of Ariel?"

Silence filled the shelter out as ten pairs of eyes stared at Cubby, who felt a bit uneasy for saying anything. Nibs began to pace from one side of the room to the other and thought for a while. The Twins slumped down and did a twin "telekinesis talk" while the others found chairs to sit on. Nibs finally stopped in his tracks, figuring out what could be the correct answer.

"Excellent point, Cubby." Nibs thought aloud, patting Cubby on the head. "Ariel's one of Peter's closest friends." The others shook their head in agreement as Nibs pondered on.

"I've also noticed that she hasn't been above sea-level at all for the past couple days." Cubby continued on. "This isn't like her; to not visit Peter that is."

"Perhaps he loves-" Tootles began, but his mouth was quickly covered by the Twins' hands. Nibs then led Tootles by the ear to the other side of the room. He looked over to see if the others would try to listen in, but saw them doing something else.

"You can't say the L-word! That's blasphemy! You can't even put that into any context." Nibs whispered. "Peter can't... love. It's goes against the code of Neverland."

"How does the L-word go against the code-" Tootles asked, but stopped talking when Peter entered into the den. Peter put his hat on one of the roots that hung above and plopped onto his throne of furs. He sighed with uncertainty as the Lost Boys gathered around the throne, waiting for him to speak. Peter fiddled his thumbs and blew his bangs out of his face. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the look of curiosity on the faces of his loyal followers. He got up from the throne and began to sharpen his dagger with a piece of whetstone, ignoring the mumbled greetings from each of the Lost Boys.

"Any status reports on Hook?" Peter demanded. Slightly shook his head in disappointment while Peter put the whetstone on a nearby "shelf". He pulled the curtain to check on Tinkerbell, who was working on a new contraption. Peter plastered a small smile at Tink and headed for the exit, but stopped to hear Slightly say, "Is the reason why you've been soquiet is because of Ariel?" Peter stiffened up, buttoned a small pouch of pixie-dust on his belt along with his dagger, and left the hideout without an answer.

* * *

_The Jolly Roger_

Smee was cleaning up after a huge feast which Captain Hook consumed all by himself. His stomach was growling with hunger, but didn't even try to ask the Captain whether he was allowed to eat. Smee went on his way when Hook pushed through the door with anger, his forget-me-knot blue eyes flaring with annoyance. Smee hid behind a settee while Hook sprinted to his desk, pulling out multiple maps from the drawers.

"Curse you Peter Pan!" Hook bellowed, causing Smee to cower in fright. "How will I ever defeat him if I can't even get him to come and fight me?"

Smee slowly got back onto his feet and walked towards the table with a bottle of whiskey in hand. He slowly poured it into a shot glass, but almost dropped the bottle when Hook slammed his hook into the desk. "Cap'n, I think I may have a solution to your little problem-" Smee mumbled.

"And what solution could that be Mr. Smee?" Hook said sarcastically, gulping down his shot glass. Smee took off the Captain's hook and began to polish it using the edge of his shirt. He looked up to see a look of annoyance written all over Hook's face as he screwed back the hook back into place.

"Well Cap'n, you know that mermaid Peter is friends with right?" he asked. Hook nodded and waved his hook for Smee to go on. "Well, I think it's possible that perhaps the boy has some sort of feeling for her?"

Hook suddenly began to laugh manically, so loudly that the entire crew came into his apartment in wonder of it. "I finally found the secret to Peter's defeat!" Hook declared, laughing with hatred.


	3. Chapter 3: Little Talks

Author's Note: Hello again! XD Here's the description: Ariel goes to Mermaid Lagoon to clear her mind. Upon her arrival there, Peter is there, desperate to talk to her. When Peter starts to ask questions about her whereabouts and why she avoids him, Ariel panics and confesses her feelings for him by accident. Meanwhile, Hook is leading a expedition on land, and overhears the entire conversation, taking advantage of them. For this chapter, I used the title of the song "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men. Sub-note: I made a fan video on Youtube; please take some time and look at it (my first video), watch?v=ffIy4qQsC_k. Thank you in advance :). I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, THE LITTLE MERMAID III (for the song included in the chapter), PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, OF MONSTERS AND MEN, or anything related! ENJOY! :D ©

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_Atlantica_

Ariel looked down from her balcony to see her tiny underwater garden. The "leaves" of a blue sea-tree swayed with the ebb of the ocean. In the center of the garden, there was a golden statue of Triton and his beloved late-wife, Athena, posing in a loving fashion. The shimmer on the surface hurt Ariel's eyes and she exited from the balcony. She swam into her room and flopped onto her clamshell bed. The cushions and sheets on her bed were the remains of old sails and were the color of crème. Fortunately for her, Triton had allowed her to go to a shipwreck supervised and received a few things from that particular ship wreck.

"_What's the matter with me? Why can't I get him out of my head?" _Ariel thought. She turned onto her side to grab a few items out of her fish-net bag. One of these items was Peter's pitch-pipe. Ariel played a "D" and began to sing an old lullaby her mother once sang to herself and her sister long, long ago.

"_Oh, the waves roll low; and the waves roll high, and so it goes. Under the bright blue endless sky. Waves try to measure, the days that we treasure. Wave hello and wave goodbye." _Ariel laid on her back and sighed as Aquata and Arista entered the room yelling.

"You took my comb. AGAIN!" Aquata yelled. Arista conspicuously took the hair comb out of her long, blonde hair that swooshed when it was released from her up-do. She handed it over to Aquata and swam to her bed with disappointment. Aquata looked over at Ariel, who was daydreaming again.

* * *

_Daydream Sequence_

_Peter held her close to him as they flew above Neverland. She trembled with happiness with a hint of nervousness as they went into stunt-like flips through the air. "Peter! __ This is AMAZING!" Ariel shouted with glee._

_"I knew you'd like it. Oh, are you ready for the corkscrew propel?" Peter asked. Ariel nodded her head as Peter contorted both of their bodies in the shape where the airflow would give them enough speed. They accelerated straight down towards the Mermaid Lagoon with incredible eagerness. Ariel held onto Peter tightly as they prepared to thrust up into the sky. "Ariel, you're ready for this next move." Peter declared._

_"Wait, what-" Ariel began, but soon felt no support at all when she was over the clouds. She screamed, gravity pulling her straight down as Ariel tried to "swim" back up. "Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts," Ariel thought, "Peter...Peter." She smiled without any cares as she did a back flip down to the land, noticing his big grin._

_"That was great! I'm so proud of you." Peter said, hugging her. The warmth of his skin allowed Ariel to sink into his arms. She looked up at him, his eyes darting into hers. Ariel looked down, smiling, and looked up to see Peter with a new sort of facial expression. He began to lean in as he cupped her face. She closed her eyes leaning in, but soon heard fingers snapping._

END SEQUENCE

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"Ariel?" Aquata said, snapping her fingers in front of her face. Ariel fell back to reality and noticed two of her six sisters staring with concern. "You ok Ariel?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just...daydreaming ha ha," Ariel lied. She began to twirl on a piece of her hair when her sister sat next to her. Ariel looked at one another and their facial expressions showed signs of being smug. "It's a merman, isn't it?!" Arista yelped.

Ariel's face turned the color of her hair as her sisters danced around the room, calling in Adella, Attina, and Andrina to join the dance. She hid her face in her pillow as she could hear her sisters singing the "K.I.S.S.I.N.G." song repetitively. "No, it's not!" Ariel yelled above all of the singing. Her sisters broke into silence as Ariel propelled out of the bedroom.

"Sheesh, what's her problem?" Adella commented.

* * *

_Shores of Neverland/ Mermaid Lagoon_

The gentle sea breeze brushed against Peter's skin as he stared out towards the Neverland Sea. His eyes were tired from the lack of sleep from the other night and they drooped slowly, but surely. Out of nowhere, Tink perched herself next to Peter, looking at Peter with concern. Ever since she was "brought back" from the dead, Tink was now able to communicate in any human language.

"Peter, you need to sleep," Tink said, pulling on his shirt. "Let's go home."

Peter waved her away as he held Ariel's sea-flower. Tink groaned and pulled on his shirt again, feeling more incline with each tug. She fell back from pulling too hard and was soon stuck in the sand. He looked back, seeing his friend trapped under a few centimeters of sand. "Sorry Tink," Peter said, picking her up and setting her onto her feet.

"Well, I might as well tell you the truth," Tink said, brushing herself off. "Ariel's at Mermaid Lagoon."

Peter's heart lit up as he floated upwards. This feeling gave him absolute confidence and reassurance that everything was going to be fine. He smiled brightly at Tink and raced off to Mermaid Lagoon. Tink looked at her companion, more like her child, shaking her head at him. "_At least she makes him happy, right?"_ Tink thought.

Unbeknownst to them both, Hook was leading an expedition to find the secret hideout once more, but he overheard the conversation. Hook smiled with self-satisfaction as he peaked through the leaves of a rather large bush. "Mateys, we shall go to the Mermaid Lagoon. My predictions are correct." Hook whispered with a hint of impulse.

"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" Peter yelled wildly, leaving the shores. During his flight, he began to primp at himself, but felt uncomfortable with doing so. Peter fixed his hair as it normally looked, watching for the "traffic" of sea gulls and fairies. He flew down into the forest-part of Mermaid Lagoon and saw Ariel near the waterfall.

Ariel slouched on the sunbathing rock, playing on Peter's pitch pipe. She discarded it and put it on the bottom of the rock. Ariel turned onto her side and began to ponder for a melody. She hummed random notes, but then discovered a pattern of notes that created a beautiful melody. Ariel sat up, cleared her throat, and checked her posture. Her lungs filled up with enough air as she began to sing out the notes, experimenting with rhythms and harmonies. Her finger tapped along with a decided beat while she tried to figure out the words to her precious melody. At last, Ariel found the right words and began to sing it.

_"What would I give to live where you are? What would I pay to stay here beside you? What would I do to see you; smiling at me," _Ariel sang, not noticing that Peter was entranced by her song. "_Where would we walk? Where would we run; if we could stay all day in the sun. Just you and me, and I could be; part of your world!"_

Peter flew behind the rock, hoping to somewhat gain her attention. He gazed at her, but not realizing that a new feeling was also appearing in his heart. The feeling was like a fire that couldn't be put out, but yet he didn't want the fire to stifle. It overcame him and he rose up from behind the rock. Ariel gasped as she turned away quickly, trying to pack up her things. Peter flew in front of her and "sat" in the air. Ariel tried to get to the water, but cornered by Peter.

"Ariel, I know something's up. Just tell me." Peter said gently, floating in each direction that Ariel tried to go towards. He descended onto the rock and held Ariel's hand, looking straight into her soul. "What's going on?"

Ariel hid her face, but soon looked up at him, seeing the warmth of his aura surround her. "I've been busy with collecting human stuff at some of the shipwrecks at the edge of Atlantica." Ariel lied, smiling at Peter, knowing that he saw right through her lie.

"Ariel," Peter complained, "I know when you lie. Your lip quivers a bit when you do." Ariel then checked herself, noticing that her lip was, indeed, quivering. She turned red with embarrassment as she thought of ways to save herself from the situation.

"Are you...feeling something?" Peter asked curiously. Shock conquered Ariel as she fell silent, her eyes seized with astonishment. She felt something wet come from her forehead as she muted herself. Peter then grabbed both hands and looked right into her eyes.

"I really like you-" Ariel blurted, but stopped herself out of sheer terror. Peter was in a standstill; his face was frozen out of being appalled by her answer. She dived straight into the water and hid behind a different rock. "I can't believe I said that!" Ariel cried, plunging all the way down to the sea bottom. He shook his head quickly and tried to go after her, but it was too late.

"But I...", Peter began, but gulped down a breath. "I like you too."

On land, Hook waved his hook above his crew and cleared his throat. "We have Peter Pan in our hands!" Hook cheered, igniting his mates' hopes of a real paycheck.


	4. Chapter 4: Contracts

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HELLO! Probably shocked by the last chapter? GET READY FOR MORE! Here's the description: Prince Eric demands a meeting with Captain Hook in his office in the castle. There, Eric and Hook make a deal consisting of our beloved Ariel and Peter. What will lie in store for our protagonists? READ MORE TO FIND OUT! I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, OR anything else related! ENJOY! :D ©

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_The Jolly Roger/ Eric's Ship/ The Village_

Starkey, Smee, and a few other crew members were doing daily chores on the deck of the Jolly Roger. Billy Jukes was scrubbing the quarter-deck as the wood was shining with brilliance. Starkey organized different barrels in the brig of the ship while importers placed them in the bottom deck. On the crow's nest, Smee was looking through his telescope, scoping out the horizon left and right. However, something caught his eye and he scrolled the telescope to the size that he could see a figure of a ship. He zoomed in close enough, but yelped in surprise of the sight of the enormous ship.

"Gah!" Smee cried out, falling back in astonishment. "Cap'n Hook! CAP'N HOOK! You better come out here and see this!". Smee rushed down the rope ladder and banged on the door of the Captain's quarters. The door swung open as Captain Hook walked on the deck, pulling out his own telescope.

"Lovely. Pull out your weapons, we got the King's guards coming for us." Hook rang out, pulling out his own sword. Guards from the ship swung on multiple ropes to the ship and seized the crew, including Smee and Captain Hook. The biggest of the guards dropped a huge wooden board and led the pirate crew onto their own ship. He took the wheel of the ship and turned it to the direction of the shore. Once everyone was on the vessel, he stood on the quarter deck, waiting for silence. He peered over the raggedy crew and saw that everyone stared at him.

"Captain James Hook," the guard called out. Hook groaned as his mates spread out, showing his appearance. "You are demanded by Prince Eric for a **mandatory** meeting within his office in the castle."

Hook was then dragged by two muscular guards as they led him off the ship and onto the port. His coat became soiled from the filthy "street" of the port as they passed numerous shops and village homes. Women dumped sewage nearby and some of the water drenched his hat, causing the feather on his hat to droop over his face. All he could do was look at the faces of village children, who were completely terrified of his battered appearance. He hid his face in shame as they traveled to the castle, thinking of the different punishments he might receive.

* * *

_Eric's Castle, Royal Office_

Eric paced back and forth near the gigantic two-story window in his office. He pressed his head against the window as an advisor organized previous minutes that were written in the past. Eric then stood in a regal position when he heard voices from outside of the room. The doors opened gracefully as Hook was pushed to the ground by the guards. He waved the guards away and waited for Hook to get onto his feet. Hook then bowed with great courtesy and rose when he saw Eric motion him to a seat at the front of his desk.

"So what is my punishment against his royal highness?" Hook asked, grimacing in response. Carlotta entered the room quietly with a tray which had a kettle of tea, cups, and assorted delicacies. She offered Hook some tea, but he declined, taking a plate of a small piece of cake. She left the tray on the desk and exited the room with a curtsy.

"For crimes of piracy, assassinating a Queen, murdering more than two men, including some of your old crew, kidnapping of the Lost Boy and three visitors; you may have the death sentence." Eric informed. Hook gulped as he rested his head between his knees. "However, you may be granted amnesty if you help me with this new ordeal."

Eric could see Hook give a look of shock as his head slowly rose up. He grinned with a hint of meticulous viciousness as Hook stammered in perplexity. Under the desk, there was a sack full of gold which shimmered from the partial sunlight. Eric pulled up the pouch and placed it on top of the desk with a large plop.

"Amnesty?" Hook asked curiously. Eric lounged in his chair as Hook polished his hook. Eric pulled out a small canvas painting and set it onto the table. The painting was a portrait of Ariel gazing on the rocks nearby the shore. "The mermaid! You want Ariel? For what?"

"Well," Eric began, twiddling his thumbs. "She's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen and I want nothing more than her. I am willing to give you amnesty and a rather large sum of money for you to convince her to come onto the land and to take down anyone that tries to get in her way."

"But she doesn't feel anything for you. She likes Peter Pan-" Hook initiated, but his collar was grabbed at by Eric and was pushed to a wall.

"You can kill him for all I care! JUST GET THE GIRL or else you'll have the death sentence." Eric shouted, clenching onto the shirt. Hook untangled himself from Eric's clutches and fixed his collar.

"Alright, fine. I warn you though, the boy's a worthy opponent. What if he tries to get in the way?" Hook questioned. Eric cracked his knuckles and turned away from him.

"He could be thrown into the dungeon. After that, he's all yours." Eric answered. Hook straightened his hat and opened the door, about to leave. "Very well, Your Highness." Hook complied, leaving the room.


	5. Chapter 5: Beyond Her Wildest Dreams

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HI! I bet you have new thoughts on old characters? Anyway, here's the description: Ariel hasn't popped out of the ocean in a few days and soon gets a message from Hook, which convinces her to transform herself into a mermaid go up onto the shore to see Peter. What will happen when she is in her human form? Will Peter be surprised at her new appearance? The title of the chapter is from the musical version of "The Little Mermaid". I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, THE LITTLE MERMAID the MUSICAL (for the title and the reference), or anything related! ENJOY! :D ©

* * *

_Four Days Later_

_Atlantica/ Ariel's Grotto_

Flounder paced back and forth outside of Ariel's bedroom door, sighing as he did this. He was doing this for the past hour and grew incredibly bored at the lack of Ariel's presence. Sebastian soon crawled down the hall, carrying a few scores of a composition that he was working on for a concert.

"What are ya doing boy?" Sebastian asked, waving his scores around. Flounder pointed at the door, waiting for Sebastian to go forth. Sebastian stiffened up in a professional posture and opened the door. He peered in to see Ariel moping at her vanity, who was picking petals off of a sea-flower. Ariel was at her last petal when Sebastian climbed onto the vanity. She looked down, seeing a stack of scores next to Sebastian.

"Not now Sebastian. I'm not up to it." Ariel said gloomily. Sebastian gasped, looking at his scores and back at Ariel, who swam back to her bed. He jumped off her bed, and exited the room yelling "Oh my Gad!"

"You tried to talk with her, didn't you?" Flounder invoked. Sebastian shook his head in response and they began to walk down the hall. They descended down the stairs and exited out of the castle, passing a courtyard. Sebastian took a seat on a marble bench while Flounder floated next to him.

"What's wrong with da child?" Sebastian thought aloud. He rubbed his eyes with his claws and gazed up at the sun. Flounder swam towards a underwater blossom-sea-tree and picked a flower from a branch.

"She's in love. I can tell." Flounder stated, pulling a petal off the sea-flower. Sebastian immediately looked at Flounder, yearning for more. "It's not a merman though."

Sebastian's eyes widened up as he thought of possible suitors that may fulfill Ariel's wants. "You better tell me who dat person or thing is. Her father's been asking for da past four days."

Flounder began to swam away in a different direction to get out of telling him anything. Sebastian clamped his claws on Flounder's tail, hearing a painful scream come from the little convict tang. He dragged him back to the bench and set him next to him.

"OK, FINE!" Flounder yelled, rubbing his tail fin. "It's Peter Pan! ALRIGHT?!" Sebastian let him go and sat in shock.

Meanwhile Ariel had left the castle, overhearing the conversation between Sebastian and Flounder. She swam past the courtyard and over the wall. A few village merfolk waved at Ariel while she passed a few sand-bank fields and they returned to toiling the sand. Shipwrecks were in sight as she swam down to a giant boulder, which was the secret entrance to her secret hideout. She pushed the boulder effortlessly and entered the grotto, closing it as she entered in. Inside the grotto, numerous amounts of human objects were organized into different categories. A wind-up dancing couple was placed on top of a polished black piano that came from the inside of a gigantic shipwreck. A box of "thingamabobs" was left opened next to a painting of a man that placed his finger nearby a fire. Ariel sat on the piano bench and stretched her fingers. She grabbed a book full of human-songs and placed it on the piano ledge. Ariel flipped to a page and began to play a song. While she looked at a measure, her eye caught a bottle with a message inside and a few rocks on the bottom of it. She picked the bottle up and with her index finger and her thumb, she pulled out the note. She read:

_To Miss Ariel:_

_I greet you with the most impeccable respect. I have realized that perhaps a week ago, you left with literally, a big splash. I know of this reason: you have feelings for Peter Pan, my greatest enemy besides the Crocodile. But I know how it must feel to not properly tell him since you are worried about his reaction. I once fell for a woman who had crystal blue eyes, blonde hair, and the most prettiest face. I was so terrified to go near her, I'd have panic attacks from her looking at me. You are scared to find out his feelings for you. You are terrified of being rejected. You are so frightened that he will not return the same feelings. _

_However, to my understanding, you will never know unless you try. Make use of yourself and use the Trident on yourself. Don't worry, I am not asking for the Trident for myself. You can use it, return it to its proper place, and venture up in the world above. What harm will it do? _

_I remain an acquaintance._

_Sincerely, _

_Captain James Hook_

_P.T.O- While you're in Neverland, why don't you take Peter near Cannibal Cove? I know the name of the area's not so good, but it is one of the most isolated areas in Neverland. You can properly tell him your feelings and perhaps share a romantic moment. Do consider it as an idea._

Ariel grasped the letter and immediately swam upwards, retreating the grotto. She raced back to the castle, speeding up with fervor. On her way to her room, she zoomed past her father, who had woken up from an afternoon nap. He scratched his head from the sight of his youngest daughter and swam in a different direction. Finally, Ariel made it to her room and slammed the heavy doors shut. She swam over to a conch-bureau and pulled out a sea-foam-colored dress she found from yet another shipwreck and a pair of shoes she'd hoped they fit. On the top of the bureau, she grabbed her fish-net bag and began to stuff items inside of it. It was almost full when she finished packing in a hairbrush and a picture of her family, which included her mother in it. Ariel hugged the picture tightly and placed it gently on top of all her possessions. She took a deep breath in and out, grabbed her bag, and headed towards the throne room. The journey down the hall gave her a feeling of confidence, yet uneasiness of leaving her beloved family behind to seek the world above. At last, Ariel made it into the throne room, which glistened of mother-of-pearl and ivory. She slowly swam up to the Trident: the ultra-powerful weapon and symbol of royalty. Ariel picked it up and placed the sharp edges towards her fins. She concentrated her thoughts into the Trident and felt a terrible pain ring throughout her body. The Trident ultimately went back into its place as Ariel floated upwards, breathing in. She could feel sharp pains on her fins as they split apart, her scales diminishing, turning into flesh.

"_It's finally happening!" _Ariel thought excitedly, despite the pain it caused her. She could feel her new toes and legs wiggling in the water. She smiled, but soon realized that humans needed water to breathe. Ariel swam out of the room with inconceivable quickness and submerged upwards without delay, arching her back as she traveled to the sunlight.

* * *

_The Shores of Neverland_

She rose above the water, taking in her first gulp of fresh air. Ariel then breast-stroke to the shore with braveness, hoping to see Peter. Beyond shadow of doubt, she began to crawl upwards, slowly taking her first steps on her new feet. Ariel placed her arms out to balance herself while clutching onto her sack. Her first steps were wobbly, but her adaption on land was faster than expected. She was able to run quickly without stumbling at all. Ariel cheered for herself as she ran in circles. After a while, she felt a cold draft onto her skin, remembering that she was naked. Ariel grabbed her carry-on and pulled out the long dress, throwing it over her head. Her arms fit through the sleeves, but then became aware of the dress being backwards. Ariel turned the front of the dress in the right direction and posed. She felt confident and beautiful in her lovely dress. The sand, however, felt tingly and strange on her feet. Ariel pulled out the matching heels and put them on her feet; ironically, they fit her perfectly. All of a sudden, she heard leaves being crunched and she hid behind a rock. To her surprise, it was Cubby.

"Ariel? Is that really you?" Cubby questioned, his eyes looking at her feet and legs. Ariel smiled, not expecting a giant hug from Cubby. "Mother Ariel's home at last."

She draped her arms around Cubby, feeling exquisite. Soon, the other Lost Boys surrounded her, commenting loudly on her appearance. The Twins jumped onto her back affectionately while Tootles and Nibs sat beside her. Ariel smiled, seeing the gazes of the Lost Boys. Without warning, a shadow peered over the children.

"Ariel; is that you?" said the voice. Ariel turned to see the red-headed boy she loved: Peter. She jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly. After waiting for so long, she was finally able to stand up to embrace him. Peter grinned at her, staring into her sea-blue eyes.

_"She's here. My God, she's beautiful" _Peter thought. He spun her around and held her in his arms. Peter put her down gently and spun back at the Lost Boys.

"Alright, who's hungry?" Peter asked. Ariel laughed as they cheered for food. The Lost Boys lead the way to the hideout as Peter kept his grip on Ariel. Ariel blushed immensely, but enjoyed every second of it. This was a girl who was beyond her wildest dreams.


	6. Chapter 6: Trust Me

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello again! So the cuteness brought you here, eh? Nevertheless... HERE'S THE DESCRIPTION! We left off with Peter, Ariel, and the Lost Boys going to the Dead Man's Tree to have dinner. Ariel plans to have Peter take her to Cannibal Cove so they can talk in private. Upon their arrival at Cannibal Cove, Ariel begins to properly explain herself and to her surprise, Peter also has something to say as well. The moment he is about to tell her his most hidden secret... Well you'll find out! The title of this chapter is a song by Elton John (one of my favorite singers and piano players EVER). I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, Elton John (ha, I wish. Just kidding :) ), or ANYTHING ELSE RELATED! ENJOY! :D ©

* * *

_The Dead Man's Tree_

The smells of different foods elevated above the little mushroom chimney top when Peter, Ariel, and the Lost Boys got to the entrance of the dugout. Ariel looked in all directions, trying to find their home. Alas, she was utterly confused until Peter grabbed her hand and led her to the "door", which was the root of the tree that opened up when knocked at a particular place. She walked in first, but lost her footing on something incredibly slippery. Ariel slid all the down and almost landed on the floor, but was quickly caught by Peter, who set her back on her feet again.

"Geez, these feet are hard to get used to." Ariel mumbled to herself. She looked up to see the "living room", which consisted of fur-covered bunk beds, a gigantic throne that was set in the middle of the room, a small kitchen in the corner of the room, and Tink's hollow. Ariel walked over walked over to the wood-burning stove and saw flames underneath it. Her eyes dilated, the fascination that rose within the moment she saw that one painting in her grotto. She put her finger in the fire, but cried out in horrible agony. The cries of "Mother Ariel" filled the room as she backed away from the stove. Peter immediately grabbed a bucked full of water and put Ariel's finger in the water.

"That hurt me really badly!" Ariel cried, her tears falling across her cheeks. Peter wiped them away while her finger cooled off in the spring water. "I can't even describe the word to fit the pain."

"You were burnt by the fire. Fire burns anything and everything." Peter informed. He flew over to a cabinet and opened it to get a small box, which seemed to be a first-aid kit of some sort. Peter flew back to Ariel and pulled out a linen towel, cloth bandages and some oils the Indian Chief gave to him while trading one day. First, he carefully dried off her finger with the smooth cloth. Next, Peter doused the oil on the cloth bandage and delicately began to wrap the bandage around her finger. While he did this, he looked up every now and then to see Ariel paying close attention to him. Peter could feel his face heat up as he finished dressing her wound. In an instant, he remembered that whenever Wendy took care of his cuts, she'd kiss whatever injury to make him feel better. When he was finished, Peter kissed her finger without hesitation. The Lost Boys gasped at the sight of their leader doing such a... grown-up act. He looked at the Boys, who were in awe of the act.

"What? She's injured. She'd do the same for you." Peter defended. The Lost Boys shook their heads in agreement while Ariel got up from her seat. She walked over to the stove and began to stir a stew. "Why is your mother cooking when you boys should do it instead? She just got hurt."

The Lost Boys immediately got up and went into different positions in preparing dinner. Slightly ushered Ariel to one of the nicer seats at the table and held the chair for her. She sat down, but was pushed in rather quickly by Slightly. He smiled and ran back to join the others. In this particular situation, Cubby was the head chef of the group and he managed everyone's duties. Tootles shyly placed wooden plates, water jugs, and cloth napkins onto the table. Ariel smiled Tootles, who blushed in her presence. However, in spite of all of this, she felt as if she should help as well. Ariel got up and walked over to a sink, where Cubby was examining a head of lettuce. She tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to a water bucket. He moved over and Ariel washed her hands clean. The Twins put different trays of entrées on the long table and the Lost Boys finished cooking. They rushed to the table, but waited for Ariel, who was waiting at the sink.

"Boys. You know better not to eat if your hands are filthy. Go wash them." Ariel commanded, pointing to the sink. They looked at their hands and soon discovered that they were covered with mud. The Lost Boys walked over and washed their hands well, Ariel inspecting each of their hands. Peter came into the room with a cleaner shirt on than the previous one he had on. He motioned for them all to take a seat, but held his hand up in front of Ariel. Peter lead Ariel to her seat and pushed her in gently. The boys began to eat wildly while Ariel saw a utensil of some sort and used it to eat this newfound food of the human world. She had a new craving for a brown covered leg of some land animal that was covered in some exotic spices. Ariel took a bite of the leg to discover this brand-new taste appearing out of nowhere. Her confidence grew as she plopped almost all sorts of different delicacies onto her plate, not noticing the surprised glances her fellow dinner guests. Ariel looked up to see the boys in awe.

"This...is...DELICIOUS!" Ariel yelped. Peter cracked up laughing from her response and fell back hysterically off his chair. At the sight of Peter falling down, the Lost Boys burst into a roar of guffawing. Slowly, Ariel joined the laughter after swallowing her food. The tehees lingered the hideout and it was so contagious, that when Tink peeked her head out of her shanty, she was contaminated with laughter. Sigh after sigh passed by and dinner continued throughout. Peter lifted his jug at Ariel and winked with a smile. She grinned back, but stopped to think.

"_Oh yeah, I got to take him to Cannibal Cove!" _she thought. Ariel looked back at Peter, who was scarfing down his seconds. "Peter? Can we go exploring?" Ariel asked shyly. Peter looked up from his food and smiled.

"Definitely. Let's go." Peter declared, wiping his mouth with a cloth napkin. "Tink, come with us. We're gonna teach her how to fly too." Tink rolled her eyes and exited out of her room. She urged for Ariel to rise and led the way up to another secret way to the surface of the earth.

* * *

_Shore of Cannibal Cove_

"Cap'n, the booby trap is assembled and ready to go." Smee called out, giving a thumbs up. Hook chuckled with mischief as he sat back in a velvet loveseat that his crew brought out for him. He sipped down a shot glass full of whiskey and relaxed. However, his relaxation was short-lived when he heard snaps and booms go off. Hook face-palmed himself as he turned around to find the booby trap was dismantled.

"_This is going to be a long day." _Hook thought to himself.

* * *

_A Waterfall Nearby Crocodile Creek/The Skies of Neverland/ Cannibal Cove_

Ariel spread her arms out, waiting for Tinkerbell to cover her with the golden pixie dust. She flew above Ariel's head and began to shake violently. The dust cascaded over her head, almost making her sneeze. Ariel looked up at Peter for a sign of commencement. Peter floated above the waterfall and sat Indian-style.

"Ok. Now all you have to do is think of happy thoughts. It could be anything at all. Your favorite things, a person you care about, wishes, etc." Peter informed.

_"Did you ever think that you are my happiest thought." _Ariel thought to herself. She closed her eyes and grinned, feeling light-weight as a gush of wind pushed her up into the sky. Suddenly, two firm hands were placed at her sides as she floated upwards. Ariel opened her eyes to see Peter's face, which was tinted rose-pink from holding her.

"Let's go." Peter said. Ariel nodded back at him as they flew straight down from the top of the water fall. She shaped her body into a diving stance, causing her to descend with a lot of speed. Peter was instantly impressed at her quick adaption to flying. He 'lifted' her up, making a hundred-eighty degree angle dive go up perfectly. She smiled with pride as she spread her arms out, just like the sea gulls near shore. Neverland looked so tiny from their view in the sky. Ariel was able to point out the different parts of Neverland. She had also discovered that in Neverland, some parts of the island had different seasons, but they were constant. Ariel was also aware that she could see the area of Atlantica.

After a few hours of flying around, Peter still had his grip on her, not letting her go. He sighed in pleasure as Ariel waved to traveling seagulls and fairies. He wanted to test her trust as they flew all around Neverland. He tapped her on the shoulder, getting anxious for the future reactions of his statement.

"You ready to learn a flying move?" Peter called out. Ariel nodded her head in response. "Let's try the corkscrew propel!"

Ariel gasped in shock as he winked at her.

"_That was in my daydream! Oh my gosh; perhaps I can finish the dream with whatever ending I want!" _Ariel thought to herself. She looked back at Peter, who was waiting for a response. "I'm not sure Peter."

"I swear nothing bad will happen." Peter affirmed, grabbing her hand, looking into her eyes. "Trust me."

"Ok then." Ariel answered. Just like the daydream, their bodies did contort into a shape that allowed them to speed up as they accelerated straight down; not to the Lagoon, but to Cannibal Cove. Ariel knew what was going to happen next; she was just waiting for Peter to say something. But as they advanced upwards, she didn't hear Peter say a word. Instead, Ariel felt him let her go. She screamed, falling down back to Earth, forgetting the rest of the daydream. Ariel was close to the treetops when she remembered the last part of the daydream.

_"Just calm down Ariel. Oh wait, HOW CAN I CALM DOWN?! I'M GONNA DIE!" _Ariel thought loudly. "_Alright, I'll calm down. Think happy thoughts! Think happy...thoughts. Peter."_

She "swam" back up to her original place and performed her improvised stunt. Like her daydream, she somersaulted backwards down to Peter, who was impressed. Peter instantly hugged her, gripping onto her tightly. Ariel looked up to see Peter grinning down at her, feeling more confident about her future on land. It took her a minute to realize where she was at; they were on the shore of Cannibal Cove. From Ariel's view, all she could see was a jungle bushes and palm trees. Nothing seemed to be romantic-looking unless she looked at the sunset, which was streaking the colors of orange, red, purple, and pink. Ariel turned towards the sun and took a seat on the shore. Peter fixed his collar and sat next to Ariel. He twiddled his thumbs as she kept her gaze at the sunset. She then turned to Peter, who quickly turned his head away. She knew she had to explain herself about the day she left so suddenly. The moment she opened her mouth to speak, Peter had also done the exact same thing.

"I want to confess something-" Peter and Ariel began, stopping themselves. They both looked away awkwardly as the silence grew around them. Ariel got up and turned away in embarrassment.

"Go on Ariel." Peter said, acknowledging her statement. Her face flushed while she cleared her throat, gaining some courage.

"Well, I wanted to confess about the other day; the reason why I left without warning. The truth is-" Ariel began, but had to clear her throat out of nervousness. "I like you, a lot. More than friends."

Peter could only sit in astonishment as his friend trembled. He got up and faced her, grabbing her hand. "Oh wow." Peter responded with a meek smile. "Ariel, I too have something to confess. The truth is that I-"

All of a sudden, Peter was thrown back onto the ground by ropes of all sorts. Ariel screamed as she saw the band of Captain Hook's pirates tie up Peter. Hook came out of the jungle and was laughing with wickedness. She started to cry at the sight of Peter being captured, falling onto her knees.

"Well my dear, I was more than surprised that you actually took my advice. After all, why would you want a simple idiot of a boy when you could have a prince instead." Hook declared, allowing a figure to enter the scene. It was Eric, who was admiring Ariel. He walked up to Ariel and kissed her hand for a greeting.

"Ariel, you set me up! How could you?! I trusted you!" Peter yelled, who was soon muffled by a piece of cloth. He glared at Ariel, who was bawling her eyes out. Ariel could only stare at the ground, not wanting to be on land.

"Besides it's not like you have a lot of choices anyhow. You only have two: Peter or his highness Prince Eric. If you choose Eric, I'll let Peter live, but he'll be under my custody. If you choose Peter, he will die." Hook informed loudly. Ariel was crying hysterically by now, gasping for air. "You don't really have much of a choice, but we have to wait for your answer."

Ariel wiped away her tears and nodded in response. Hook laughed crazily as Peter and Ariel were lead onto the ship.


	7. Chapter 7: Close Every Door

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HELLO! I literally was in tears when I wrote the previous chapter, it wasn't even funny. So our beloved characters are separated from each other: Ariel inside castle walls and Peter in the dungeon cell. Ariel is then formally introduced to Eric, who she already has a dislike in. Eric, however, is hopeful for their relationship to prosper. He gives her a tour of the castle and introduces his servants to her. On the other hand, Peter is tortured by Hook within the dungeon. How will Peter live on, thinking his trust was broken from the girl he loves? And what of the mysterious dungeon master that Peter befriends? Find out more by reading this chapter! For the title of this song, I thought that "Close Every Door" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat fits this chapter. I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER (I wish! ;) Just kidding), or ANYTHING ELSE RELATED! ENJOY! :D ©

* * *

_Eric's Castle_

Ariel gawked at the sight of Eric's castle as she was sitting in the carriage. She peeped out of her window to see a gigantic white castle that was on the bay of the kingdom. The windows of the castle gleamed as the sun hit against; calling out to be cleaned by the maids. Her dress had clung onto the seat of the carriage and it made it quite uncomfortable to sit in. Regardless, she was enjoying the views of the kingdom, but it could not keep her mind off of Peter.

_"Peter, how could I have known that I was a pawn?" _Ariel thought to herself remorsefully. On the whole, the carriage stopped in front of the castle, stopping abruptly. Ariel could hear horses neigh nearby when the door opened up. She looked out, noticing Eric reaching for her hand. Ariel took it regally as they walked towards the enormous doors of the castles. They opened with a powerful force and the duo entered into the hall. The butler, maids, chefs, and other servants stood in two perfect lines. Ariel then stepped out of her royal position and greeted them with all the glee she could possibly give. They were surprised by her bold action and they stared at her in perfect silence. Her smile decreased as Eric lead her to a housekeeper named Carlotta; a short, black-haired woman with a motherly-like appearance.

"Carlotta, please have Princess Ariel go to her chamber and make sure she feels comfortable." Eric commanded. Carlotta nodded in response and took Ariel gently by the shoulders and lead her up the stairs. Ariel kept her eyes low, feeling unwelcome within the castle. Carlotta could see the awkward expression on Ariel's face, but she wondered what she could do to help the situation. She opened the doors and urged for Ariel to walk in. Ariel looked around to see a vast bedroom with a canopy king-sized bed, a luxurious armoire coated with some gold paint, and a sculpted floor-length mirror. She looked towards Carlotta, who waited patiently at the door.

"Thank you. I wish I knew your name madam." Ariel said with some dignity. Carlotta walked over and sat on the bed, motioning for Ariel to sit besides her. Ariel sat and had her hands held by Carlotta.

"My name is Carlotta. I'm the head housekeeper of his majesty's castle." Carlotta informed, seeing a sign of distress on Ariel. "I know how you must be feeling, being torn over a decision you can't declare against."

Ariel looked at Carlotta closely. Her eyes were a bit baggy from years of working late in the evenings. There were wrinkle lines that cascaded over her forehead and the sides of her face. Yet, her brown eyes were still full of youth after all these years of working in the palace. Carlotta then got up and walked over to the armoire. She pulled out a sea-blue dress and set it on the bed. Ariel got up from the bed and waited for Carlotta to dress her. Carlotta spotted that she wore no corset, petticoats, or undergarments under her dress. She ran back to the armoire and pulled out personal underclothes and began to dress her. Ariel groaned when Carlotta tightly tied her corset.

"Are you alright?" Carlotta asked cautiously. Ariel nodded her head in response. When she was done, Carlotta threw the dress over Ariel's head and pulled it gently down over her head. Ariel adjusted the bodice of the dress and was done. Carlotta brought her over to the mirror and smiled brightly.

"Oh your highness; you look so beautiful." Carlotta said genuinely. Ariel kindly smiled at her and dismissed her from the room. When Carlotta closed the door, Ariel flung herself onto the bed and started crying once more.

_"My God, please don't let anything happen to Peter. Please dear Lord, keep him safe."_

* * *

_The Dungeon_

The sounds of whips were ringing throughout the entire dungeon. Peter's back was lashed with numerous black whips by Captain Hook. He winced in pain, but did not cry once. Peter could feel blood flow down his back as Hook tortured him unmercifully. In the corner of the dungeon, its master observed the following scene. He gazed at Peter, who had tears in his eyes.

"_Ariel, why did you do this to me? I thought you loved me." _Peter thought. Hook whipped him harder each time, hoping for a yelp of pain from Peter. For each time, he failed, getting annoyed with Peter. Hook kicked him the stomach, left the cell, and headed towards the exit of the dungeon. He stopped and walked towards the dungeon master. He cleared his throat, making sure his presence was known.

"I would like for him to be back on his chains for tomorrow. Good day." Captain Hook said, his blue eyes glaring. The dungeon master nodded and Hook left the dungeon. Peter looked out from his cell to find that Hook's presence was gone. He could at last cry from his insufferable pain. Peter brought his knees to his face and buried his face. However, the dungeon master brought a tray that was full of food and medical supplies. He took his keys off his belt and unlocked the door. The dungeon master entered the cell, not knowing that Peter would get up. Peter pushed the dungeon master back to the wall and grabbed a small dagger off of the dungeon master's belt. The dungeon master shrunk back in fear, seeing the fire in Peter's eyes.

"Please sir, I do not wish to harm you." he said, presenting food and medical supplies. "I've come to sustain you."

Peter walked back and sat on soft hay. The dungeon master brought out a cloth and a medical herb potion. He soaked it with the potion and began to clean off his back. He cried out in wallowing pain as the dungeon master gently patted his back.

"You know, you're making this sound really overdramatic." the dungeon master said, cleaning Peter's back. Peter stopped crying and let the master dress to his wounds. His entire back was covered with a cloth-like gauze and he felt soothed due to the medical herbs.

"Thank you sir." Peter said graciously. He bowed low to the dungeon master, who looked away awkwardly.

"You're welcome."


	8. Chapter 8: Here Inside My Heart

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HELLO AGAIN! So much has happened in the last chapter, I wasn't sure what you were probably thinking. ANYWAY, here's the description! It's a few days later. Peter has lost all of his happy thoughts, which cause him to literally grow into the age he was supposed to be at; eighteen. On the other hand, Ariel is also depressed, but is summoned to spend a day with Eric out on the town. If you remember the film as well as I do, they go to the village and the blue lagoon/bayou. The title of the chapter is from a song I sung with a choir a while back, "Here Inside My Heart" written by poet Andrea Ramsey. I do not own THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, ANDREA RAMSEY, or anything related! ENJOY! :D ©

* * *

_The Dungeon_

The dungeon master once again checked on Peter's wounds, which were healing up quickly. Yet the scars of his torture are setting into his back as he sat in silence. Peter looked at the dungeon master, who was cleaning up after him. Something inside of him wanted to help him, but he didn't know what to do. All thoughts of optimism had left Peter and it literally made him grow old; to the point where he was at the age he was supposed to be. Peter looked at himself in a puddle and saw a young adult as his reflection. He backed away in disbelief and fell down, scooching away from the puddle.

"What's happening to me?!" Peter yelled. He saw that he could barely fit his suit of leaves and his toes were poking out of the boots. The dungeon master ran over to the cell and unlocked it quickly.

"The innocence of Neverland has been destroyed. You are the boy that never grew up. Now that you've grown up, time will pass regularly in Neverland." the dungeon master explained.

"WHAT?!" Peter bellowed.

"_Falling in love does this to you?!" _Peter thought aloud to himself, stroking his chin, which had a newly-found stubble on it. Strangely enough, he could hear the unlocking of chains from behind him. His feet were able to move and Peter got up slowly; slowly adapting to his new body.

* * *

_The Guest Room/ Eric's Village/ Blue Bayou_

Grimsby, Eric's loyal servant, walked promptly down to Ariel's room. He adjusted his coat before opening the door of the guest room. The door opened to reveal Ariel sobbing into a small pillow. Taking pity, he meandered to her side and patted her gently on her back. Ariel looked up suddenly to see a seventy-year old man with grey eyes look down at her.

"Oh, I apologize madam for intruding. I mean, your highness." Grimsby said.

"It's alright Grimsby. There's no need to apologize." Ariel replied. She smiled at him, yet he could see how weary she was.

"Well, his highness is taking you for a tour of the kingdom. He is waiting for you in the foyer." Grimsby declared, allowing Carlotta in the room. He exited the room, closing the door slowly. Ariel walked over to her vanity and slumped on the top of it. Carlotta grabbed a brush and brushed her hair carefully into place. She placed a small crystal headband on the top of Ariel's head, which shimmered with pride. Ariel sighed, but put on a plastered smile in response to Carlotta. She got up and went out of the room with some anxiousness. Ariel had to wait for Grimsby to escort her down the long, marble staircase. At the bottom of the stairs, Eric grinned at Ariel, his eyes shimmering with attraction. She returned a smile as he took her hand gently, walking her outside of the castle.

Outside, there was a simple carriage attached to a Clydesdale horse, neighing with boredom. Eric lifted her onto the top of the carriage and climbed in, holding onto the reigns tightly. The horses trotted away from the castle, giving Ariel some thoughts of tension with this particular vehicle. The views, however, calmed her as they made their way into the market section of the village. She could hear mischievous children playing in the street and the different smells awoke her smelling sense. The carriage stopped in the square of the market place. Eric tossed a small pouch of gold to a fellow villager, who parked his buggy nearby. He confidently offered his arm to Ariel, who kept silent throughout the morning. She held onto his arm with barely any grip as they walked around the market. In the corner of the market, there was a puppet show that had two characters that represented a jealous wife and a greedy man. Ariel ran over and sat beside a dirty peasant girl, who stared at Ariel's beauty. The little girl pressed her head down, feeling ashamed of her appearance and social standing. However, Ariel tapped her on the shoulder, causing the girl to rise up. She wet a cotton handkerchief and began to clean her face gently, making sure that her pores were purely cleansed. The girl smiled at Ariel, but soon was taken aback when she saw Eric pull Ariel away. She looked back to see the little girl curtseying with tears in her eyes.

"Remember, we are not to talk to peasants or commoners. We are royalty." Eric informed with a hint of arrogance. Ariel frowned at him when he turned his head to look for oncoming traffic. They walked back to the carriage and drove away from the village. For an hour, they rode into the wooded area of the bay, the sun going down as they traveled. The branches from weeping willows gave the appearance of curtains as they drove down a dirt pathway, which led to a bayou. The carriage stopped in front of a small boating port and they climbed out of the vehicle. Eric quickly grabbed her dainty hand and led her to a small, oak rowboat, which she took her time getting into. He grabbed the oars and began to push the boat towards the center of the swampy-lake. The sun was setting, giving only a tiny bit of fair light in the bayou. Fireflies began to light up the highly-wooded everglade as they traveled gently around the lagoon. The wind gently blew against the leaves of the Weeping Willow trees when the boat stopped. Ariel looked nervously away, not aware of Eric's constant gaze towards her. When she looked, she could see the crystal-blue eyes stare deeply at her. He straightened up and sat back in his seat, preparing to speak to her.

_"I wonder... What if-" _Ariel began to think, but was then nudged by Eric. "How was the kingdom? Did you like the tour?" Eric said. Ariel pushed the hair out of her face and smiled courteously.

"Oh yes, it was a nice tour; especially when we went to the village. I befriended a few villagers and they seem to be nice. Daddy was wrong of what he thought of-" Ariel said, but stopped herself before making a rude comment. She bowed her head, looking at her hands, but then saw Eric interlock their hands together. Eric cleared his throat and caressed her hands, trying to get over his nervousness and lust.

"Ariel my sweet... I've come to grow very fond of you. No, it's not fondness. Ariel... I love you and I'll give you whatever you want. Marry me and I will make you both the queen of my kingdom, Neverland, and Atlantica. What do you say? Will you?!" Eric babbled out.

Ariel gasped loudly as she let go of his hands quickly. She blushed immensely, took the oars, and began to paddle quickly. Eric was incredibly astonished by her reaction as she propelled towards the land, taking her actions to be a sign of acceptation. He pulled the oars off of Ariel, cupped her face, and kissed her right on the mouth. Ariel fell back onto her seat, in denial of the current situation. When the deed was done, Eric kissed her forehead and waited for her to speak. She was in utter silence as he waited for her, her bravery setting in for the next thing that would said.

"Eric, I'm very sorry, but I don't feel the same for you. There's someone else I have in mind." Ariel declared, knowing that her life and Peter's could be on the line. A calm expression had covered over Eric's face as he grabbed the oars and paddled back to the shore. Silence had broken the romantic atmosphere of the blue lagoon. As they left the bayou, Ariel kept her face away from Eric, not wanting to see the infiltrator of her romance with Peter. Eric held the reigns tightly, his jaw clenching from his hidden anger of being denied and his jealousy of Peter.

"I hope you realize what is going to happen, don't you?", Eric informed, seeing Ariel with a confused look on her face. "You'll see in the meantime." The statement made Ariel shudder, only making her imagine the fate of her lover.


	9. Chapter 9: Horrors

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HELLO! xD AHH! ERIC'S LUSTY! Anyway, here's the description! After the traumatic situation at the blue lagoon, Ariel waits for the perfect time to sneak down the dungeon to see Peter. On her way down, she finds Tinkerbell, who is less than happy to see her. Ariel is then interrogated by her, which makes her cry. With her crying, the dungeon master discovers Ariel and soon comforts her, finding out Ariel's side of the story. Meanwhile, Eric is planning total domination of Neverland and Atlantica with Hook, who is his new advisor. Will Ariel find out about their dastardly plans? Will the dungeon master help Peter and Ariel? Will Tinkerbell ever learn to trust someone? I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, or anything related! ENJOY! :D ©

* * *

_The Bedroom/ The Dungeon_

Ariel shuddered in her bed as Carlotta left the room quietly. Her lips were numb from shock and the kiss that Eric bestowed upon her. She felt ashamed, manipulated, and sleazy as she cried into her pillow, which was soaked. Ariel then sat back up and pulled the sheets off her roasting body. The window was closed and locked with a hook handle. She walked over and opened the doors, feeling the sea breeze run through her hair. It gave her a sentimental feeling as she stared out to the sea, trying to relax. Ariel hugged herself as she walked onto the balcony, looking down at her rock. The rock was now covered with white sea foam, looking aged. She walked away from the terrace, brushing past the sheer curtains that hung above her.

"_Peter, how can I be with you now?" _Ariel thought. She grabbed one of the pillows, split it in half, causing feathers to fly about, and threw the pillow across the room. Ariel felt a feather brush against her and she looked around, seeing the mess she made. Feeling guilty, she started to pick up the feathers one by one until she saw a shadow at the door. Looking back, Ariel saw Carlotta, who was bewildered.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." Ariel began, gathering the feathers together in a pile. "I couldn't control myself."

Carlotta walked to a small shelf and grabbed a pillow case, filling it up with the collected feathers. She put her hand in her apron pocket and pulled out a thimble, spool of thread, and a needle and motioned for Ariel to lie next to her on the giant bed. Ariel jumped into the bed and formed into fetal-position next to Carlotta. For fifteen minutes, she was able to be calm and not cry when Carlotta was near. Ariel heard a plop and saw the pillow looking brand-new.

"My dear, I know a way to get to the dungeon without being caught." Carlotta revealed, pulling a skeleton key out of her pocket. Ariel looked dumbfounded as Carlotta placed the key within her hands.

"Carlotta, I don't understand. Why are you and Grimsby so nice to me? Technically, I'm almost property to that fool you call a prince." Ariel said. Carlotta straightened her skirt and shifted herself.

"Because you're royalty my dear. If you have a higher standing than Grimsby and I, we have to respect you. Then again, you're courteous to the servants and to whoever is around you, even if you want to destroy everything in sight. You're a good girl and you deserve Peter. You've done nothing wrong to him. Go to him." Carlotta spoke. Ariel wrapped her arms around her, giving her kiss on the cheek, and tip-toed to the door. She smiled at Carlotta and began to walk down the hallway. She stopped to hear Carlotta say, "Take the stairs and go left, then right, and go to an iron door. Go down the stairs. But be careful; the dungeon's almost like a labyrinth. Keep your right hand on the wall and you'll find the center of it."

Luckily, she wore no shoes; Ariel went barefoot down the long staircase, making sure she made no audible noise. She looked left-and-right to check for guards or anyone that would tell of her escape of her room. Ariel turned left and began walking, but stopped to hear voices coming further down the hall. She hid behind a metal knight-in-shining-armor as Ariel spotted Hook conversing quietly with Eric. They passed after a few seconds, her head peeping behind from the statue. Ariel got out of it and ran to the right, discovering the iron door.

"_Go down the stairs. But be careful; the dungeon's almost like a labyrinth. Keep your right hand on the wall and you'll find the center of it." _Ariel remembered. Opening the door, she took a step onto a stone step, placing her right hand on the cold, moist wall. Ariel noticed a light up torch which hung on the left wall and grabbed it, going down the stairs slowly. She made it to the bottom of the stairs, but soon found herself in a maze of mirrors with torches hung all around her.

Ariel dimmed her torch, but kept her right hand on the wall, walking through. She could see a red-headed human whose eyes were as red as the eyes of the sea banshees that wailed while she, her parents, and sisters traveled into a town, foretelling the death of her beloved mother. From the corner of her eye, Ariel could see something flutter all around her. She suddenly realized that it was Tinkerbell when she flew right in her face, causing her to fall back. "Tinkerbell?"

"Just who do you think you are-"

"Tink, I don't understand what's been happening-"

"You set him up!"

"I would never do that to Peter-"

"Sure you wouldn't. Everyone thinks you did."

"Tink, why would I hurt him? I love-"

"You've never loved him."

"I DO-" Ariel started to yell, but the tears kept flowing down her face, gasping for air to breathe in. Tink floated back and disappeared when a figure appeared in the darkness. She hid her face, sobbing in vain, but stopped to see the dungeon master. Ariel backed away in surprise when the dungeon master offered his hand. She took it and he pulled her up slowly.

"Madam, are you Princess Ariel?" he asked quietly. She nodded, being lead out of the mirror maze and onto a bench near the dungeon. Ariel sat, observing the dungeon master. He sat beside her, fiddling with his keys. "Mr. Pan had spoken a great deal about you Miss."

"He's alive? Oh thank God." Ariel commented, sniffling a bit. The dungeon master gave her a cotton handkerchief, which was wrinkled, but clean. She took it and dabbed at her eyes, calming down. "Could you tell me your side of the story Madam?"

It took Ariel about an hour to tell her story with enough detail and bits of giggles within the conversation. The dungeon master nodded his head in response to rhetorical questions Ariel would ask.

"I understand now-"

"But how can Peter and I escape from this?-"

"Let me speak. Peter's grown up; literally grown up. The innocence of Neverland was broken because he-" he began, but soon heard noises from above. "Quick, hide in the torture closet. There's nothing in there."

Ariel sprinted to the closet, shutting the door behind her. She peered through the crack of the door to discover Eric and Hook entered the dungeon. After a minute or so, the dungeon master opened the door, allowing Ariel to listen in. She heard whips being cracked, Eric calling out ,"So she likes this weakling. Not after I'm through with you she won't".

"Our invasion of Neverland and Atlantica will be triumphant! Nothing will defeat us. The boy who never grown up has grown up! Muwahahaha!" Hook called out, laughing at himself.

Ariel gasped, but soon covered her mouth and ran back into the closet. The door swung open and Eric and Hook left the dungeon, giving semi-smiles to the dungeon master. The sound of their footsteps disappeared, causing Ariel to come out.

"Oh sir, please do something! I couldn't see my kingdom and to have Peter get hurt anymore!" Ariel begged, falling onto her knees. The dungeon master patted her head, saying "I will plan something; don't fret child. Things will be better."

He watched the little red-head travel slowly up the stairs, thinking of a plan to save not only the lovers, but two kingdoms.


	10. Chapter 10: Restoration

Author's Note: HI! Sorry I took so long to write this (was working on the sequel "Best Days of Our Lives" from "So This Is Goodbye?". HERE'S THE DESCRIPTION! So we are still at the dungeon, its master confessing to Peter about Ariel's story and how she is being used as a pawn for total domination of Atlantica and Neverland. Will Peter rescue Ariel? How will he rescue her? And how can he restore the innocence of Neverland? I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, or anything related! ENJOY! :D ©

* * *

Peter grimaced as his wounds were freshly opened up once more. It would take a week for the herbs to fully quick in and heal his back. The more he thought of his wounds, the more it reminded him of his Ariel. Peter could precisely remember what Eric had boomed earlier:

"_So she likes this weakling. Not after I'm through with you she won't!"_

What did this statement proclaim? Did it mean that Ariel was worried about him? Did this mean that she still cared for him deeply? Does Ariel love him? These questions had all occured within his own mind, but was paused when the dungeon master sprinted in with medical supplies and food.

"Peter! I have some news!" the Dungeon Master yelled, placing the items down with a thud. Peter looked up with some surprise, waiting for him to unlock his chains. He rolled his eyes as he went over, picking up his keys, and unlocked Peter's chains. Peter jumped up, following the master to where the supplies were laid out. He then sat in Indian-style, his back facing the dungeon master. The master dipped new bandages into the herbal potion and quickly wrapped it around Peter's wounds. Peter winced as he did this, waiting impatiently for him. He put away the supplies and acknowledged for Peter to eat.

"As you know, Ariel is going to be forced to marry Eric, despite her own thoughts-"

"So what, I don't care-"

"Yes you do, you silly boy. You may have grown up physically, but not mentally-"

"I don't care about her-"

"She loves you!"

Peter sat back in amazement as silence fell around them.

"She even told me myself. She came down here in hopes of talking to you, but she had to hide from Eric and Hook. She told me everything."

Peter was in perfect silence.

"But what about what happened on the shore-"

"She wanted to fully confess, but she didn't realize that Hook and his crew were going to do anything. She was hoping to hear your answer from that day and you're all she thinks about."

Peter's eyes widened as he spat out his food. Suddenly, he started to levitate upwards, his chains the only thing that brought him down.

"_Ariel loves me? Oh wow." _he thought to himself, but suddenly went back into reality.

"But how can I restore Neverland? Sure I can fly, but I'm old now."

The dungeon master left the cell and brought in a large leather book. He plopped it down onto the floor and began looking through the pages. After a minute, he pointed out a particular page.

"Found it! According to Neverland legend, if the Pan has grown up physically due to traumatic events can restore Neverland's innocence by defeating whatever made the Pan traumatic in the first place. Oh, here's where the love section is." The dungeon master read, clearing his throat. "According to legend, if the Pan falls in love but is temporarily heartbroken for any case, the innocence of Neverland will be broken. However, the innocence can be restored if the Pan goes for whoever he loves and creates a family line."

"So, I have to rescue Ariel and be with her for the rest of my life?" Peter asked. The dungeon master nodded his head in response. "I think I have an idea."

The two huddled together and began planning in quiet, for the future of Neverland laid in the hands of the boys.

* * *

_Eric's Castle: Ariel's Room_

"_What am I going to do? Neverland and Atlantica are in danger all because of me. What's worse is that Peter probably still hates me. How can it get any worse than this?" _Ariel thought in her bed. Suddenly, Grimsby came in and rushed to her bedside.

"Your majesty, the Prince is coming. Get your dressing gown and hurry." Grimsby said, gasping for air.

Ariel jumped out of bed and grabbed the dressing gown, which was on one of the door pegs. She tied the strings together and walked towards the window. Eric walked into the room with some arrogance, looking at the room, then at Ariel.

"Princess Ariel, since you are a prisoner of a future war, the Prince may choose to do whatever he feels is best for the kingdom. You will be marrying me tomorrow afternoon. You will become queen and have my future sons. The first sons of land and sea. I leave you." Peter said, turning his heel towards the door.

He started for the door, but stopped when Ariel yelled, "I will never marry you! Never!". Eric turned back towards her, his glare burning into her skull.

"You have no choice."

And with that, he left.


	11. Chapter 11: Transformation

Author's Note: HELLO! The last chapter is MINDBLOWING! Nevertheless, HERE'S THE DESCRIPTION! Sebastian and Flounder have confessed to King Triton of Ariel's whereabouts and what Atlantica's fate shall be if Peter cannot rescue her. Will Triton fight back against the humans? Will Sebastian and Flounder help Peter? And how? READ MORE TO FIND OUT! I do not own THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, or anything else related! ENJOY! :) ©

* * *

_Atlantica's Palace; the Throne Room/ The Village/ The Dungeon  
_

Flounder and Sebastian were shuddering in fear as they waited for Triton. Sebastian began to pace on the ocean floor, thinking of what to say to him. If he'd mess up on saying something, Triton would think he was bluffing.

"Sebastian, we have to tell the King about everything; despite of Ariel's wishes. I feel worse for poor Peter though; he didn't want this sort of thing to happen to him." Flounder said thoughtfully.

"I know, but how can I tell da King about dis properly? Once he finds out about Ariel and dat boy, all da oceans are gonna pile together and create da biggest storm that nobody's ever seen." Sebastain wailed.

Suddenly, they both heard sea-trumphets blast throughout the throne room. Flounder shrunk down to Sebastian's level as King Triton swam into the room. He perched onto his throne as Sebastian and Flounder swam towards him.

"Any news on Ariel?" King Triton asked sadly, his eyes sunken in from the lack of sleep. He waited for Flounder to swim up to his level as he sat back in the throne.

"Your Majesty, Sebastian and I have to tell you the truth and all of the truth." Flounder said, bowing his head. The old king's eyes widened as Sebastian swam into place.

"You remember dat human Peter Pan, Your Highness?" Sebastain asked. The king nodded his head in response, motioning for him to continue. "Ariel fell in love with him and turned herself into one using da Trident. She was with him, but was captured by da infamous Captain Hook and is a captive at da human prince's castle."

"WHAT?!"

"There's more Your Majesty," Flounder continued, twiddling his fins, "She's forced to marry the Prince and the Prince plans to invade both Neverland and Atlantica!"

"HUMANS! Always the humans! They cause more trouble than anything I've ever dealt with. First, they take my wife, now my daughter! I blame Peter Pan for all of this! And that dreadful Captain Hook!" Triton wallowed, grabbing his Trident.

"Your Majesty, it isn't Peter Pan's fault! He felt something for her too, but he is also captured and in da dungeon. Right before Peter was going da girl how he felt, he was captured."

The Trident lit up within Triton's hand.

"Someone needs to be with Ariel. Perhaps this person will help her escape." Triton thought aloud. They both looked at each other with puzzled looks. Triton then turned away from the two sea creatures, pacing.

"Is the innocence of Neverland destroyed?" The king asked aloud.

The sea creatures nodded their heads in response.

"He has to restore it somehow. Sebastian, Flounder, I have made up my mind." Triton said, turning back to them. "You will be transformed into humans and help Peter Pan rescue Ariel."

Flounder and Sebastian gasped at his comment. They looked at each other, imagining what they'd look like. Triton gripped onto his Trident and swam off the throne. He brought forth the sea creatures and the Trident lit up once more. A blast from the Trident hit Flounder and Sebastian faster than the speed of sound. The fish's vertebrae grew longer as his fins dissolved into two human legs. Sebastian's claws transformed into hands and he wiggled them out of curiosity. A bright flash shined out throughout the throne room as they finished their transformations. As a human, Flounder had a sailor suit on him in difference to Sebastian being in a red tuxedo with a top hat that matched.

"Go quickly; humans do not have a good lung capacity like dolphins and mermaids do. Hurry!" Triton informed.

With incredible speed and timing, the two humans swam up to the surface with minutes to spare. As they climbed onto land, they felt a new feeling of exhaustion ring throughout their bodies. Flounder immediately got up on his new feet and tried to run, but fell onto his face. Sebastian helped him up, rolling his eyes.

"You better learn quick boy. We gotta help dat Peter and save Ariel!" Sebastian said.

Flounder took baby steps in a circle, then tried to go faster as he did this. This took about ten minutes, but he finally adapted to land. Sebastian went ahead of him and began to look around. There was a port that was nearby the shore and a village with humans in it close by. He adjusted his hat and led the way to the village.

Once they got there, confusion hit them very quickly. Flounder spoke to some of the village children, but had found no advice or directions. Smells from a bakery lured him in, his taste-buds hungry for something new. Sebastian saw this and had to take a few gold coins out of his tuxedo pocket to pay for the boy's food. Fortunately, while he was paying for the food, he began talking to the baker himself.

"Excuse me Sir, but could ya tell me where da castle is located?"

"Oh yes. If you take Meredith Lane, then take a right on Sea Street, you should be able to find the castle. Have business with the royals?"

"Ya, thank ya."

They walked away from the bakery and went through the village. Sebastian was happy to see that there was a music store on the corner of that path, but Flounder reminded him of the mission. They passed Meredith Lane and Sea Street, but found themselves in front of a giant castle. Considering that Peter was in the dungeon, they decided to look for cell windows. Fortunately, they found a way past the moat and went behind the castle to find the windows. Now all they needed to do was to choose the right cell. Flounder suddenly heard whispering within a cell, but fell in accidentally onto Peter Pan himself.

"Here, let me help you." Peter said, picking up Flounder. Flounder was flabbergasted at the sight of him. "Do I know you by chance?"

"SEBASTIAN! IT'S HIM!" Flounder cried out. He then waited for Sebastian to climb into the cell, for he was not used to the lack of numerous legs. Sebastian fell onto his feet and bowed towards Peter.

"Do forgive him, he's kinda slow," Sebastian said, jabbing Flounder with his elbow, "Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Sebastian, the court composer for King Triton, Ariel's father. He's Flounder, her best friend. We've come to help you rescue Ariel."

"Perfect. Here's the plan!" the dungeon master called out. He gathered the trio and began talking to them once more, igniting the hopes of King Triton.


	12. Chapter 12: For The Glory

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HELLO! Only have about two chapters left! AHHH! First off, I want to thank the many readers and reviewers that checked out my story. It's been a pleasure to wake up in the morning to see your comments and your thoughts. You guys mean a lot; without your support, I would not be writing on here. *applause* Anyway... HERE'S THE DESCRIPTION! It's the wedding day and Ariel is about to give up hope. As she walks down the aisle, she continually thinks of Peter and can't get him out of her head. Meanwhile, Peter finishes up the rescue plans with the Dungeon Master, Sebastian and Flounder, and the Neverland Indians. The moment Ariel has to say her vow... well you'll figure that out. This chapter is rated a little higher than RATED T since there is some violence and details of war. I used the song "For the Glory" from the musical "The Civil War" for the title of this chapter. READ MORE TO FIND OUT! I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, "The Civil War", or anything else related! ENJOY! :D ©

* * *

_The Next Day_

_Eric's Wedding Ship; Ariel's Quarters  
_

Ariel held onto the bed-post as Carlotta tied up her corset, grimacing from the tight strings. It didn't help that the boat was making her feel a bit dizzy, nor that she was forced to marry an arrogant prince that she despised so much. Ariel felt weighted down as her wedding dress was being buttoned up and her veil with a crown was placed on her head. She walked over to a floor-length mirror and saw the reflection of herself, tightening the bouquet of flowers in her hands.

"Your Highness, you look beautiful," Carlotta said sincerely, "I wish it was for a wedding of your choice though."

Ariel gritted her teeth as she looked down at her bouquet. She could feel the tears swell up in her eyes, but looked up at the ceiling to make them go away. Ariel turned to Carlotta and hugged her gently. Carlotta picked up her chin, wiping her tears away.

"I know child. I know." Carlotta coaxed, hugging her once more.

* * *

_The Dungeon, 5:30 p.m.  
_

Maps of the Neverland Waters and Atlantica waters were scattered out on a long table. Sebastian grabbed tiny figurines and set them into their proper places. Flounder was tending to Tinkerbell as she ordered him to get food for the group. The dungeon master studied from the large book that foretold the prophecy of the Pan of Neverland. In the corner of the room, Peter was sharpening swords with some whetstone as he talked to the Chief of the Neverland Indian tribe. Earlier, the dungeon master snuck them in through the entrance, declaring that they were "followers" of Peter.

Tinkerbell flew towards the table and landed in the center, waiting for Peter. The Chief motioned Peter to lead the meeting, pointing at Tinkerbell. He flew above the table and crowed loudly, getting everyone's attention. They had all gathered at the table and waited for the dungeon master and Peter to begin.

"Here's the plan. At 6:15, Carlotta will be setting up for the wedding. She will let the Lost Boys and the Indians down below the Fore-castle room. Sebastian and Flounder, you will hide under the table where they'll serve the wedding cake. Peter and Tink, you two will pop out from under the plank as soon as the vows start-" the dungeon master said, being interrupted by Flounder.

"But how can we get out of the castle without being caught?"

"Well most of the guards will be at the wedding, the same goes with the pirates. I'm sure Peter will lead us out of here without any conflict. Tink, do you have enough fairy dust?" the dungeon master asked.

"Of course; I just got reloaded with dust just this morning." Tink answered.

"Alright, we should be good. Let's go everyone!" the dungeon master called out, opening the door. Everyone cheered as they left the dungeon, going up the long, stone staircase. They went past the mirror maze and exited out of that area. Peter flew up and began looking down the hallway. The rest waited, hearing guards yell "Get him!", but then heard several screams before their sounds died down. Tinkerbell flew out to where Peter was and headed back, motioning them to follow. As they passed her, she sprinkled pixie dust over their heads, watching the bewildered group levitate upwards.

"Come on!" Tink yelled, leading the way. The group flew out of a two-story window, heading for Eric's ship, where Ariel waited with remorse.

* * *

_Ariel's Quarters, Deck of Eric's Wedding Ship  
_

A knock on the door interrupted the embrace, acknowledging them that it was Grimsby. He opened the door and adjusted his suit coat.

"I have been arranged for you as your escort down the aisle, since your father can't make it." Grimbsy said with some sadness behind his voice. Ariel ran to Grimsby and hugged him tightly. He was a bit surprised, but hugged her back in response. "It is the least I can do for you, Your Highness."

Ariel gave him a sad, but sincere smile as she grabbed her bouquet. He led her up the stairs, taking rhythmic steps. Left, right, left, right. Smee was playing a flat version of the Wedding March, playing madly as they walked down the aisle. Ariel held onto her bouquet as she saw the stares of humans all around her. She could hear the comments of "He's marrying a mermaid? How distasteful.", "Ugh, a fish.", and "How will they ever have children?". All around her, she could see Hook's pirate crew helping out as guards, making her confused. The only thing she could do was pray for a miracle to happen, but there was little chance something could save her from this wedding.

"_Peter, I'm so sorry." _she thought with guilt. They made it to the altar at last, Eric grabbing her hands tightly as they waited for the priest to begin.

"Dearly beloved..." the priest began. Ariel looked down, but noticed something bulging from the priest. "_Eww, that's disgusting." _Ariel thought to herself.

* * *

Daydream_ Sequence_

_He led her to Pixie Hollow, a tree with mystical powers, and showed her the fairies. She smiled brightly at them, seeing all sorts of them. At one point, she saw a pair of fairies dancing, but soon recognized one of the dancers. It was Tinkerbell with her beloved Terrence, fluttering around the dance floor.  
_

_"Ah look, they're dancing Peter."_

_He smiled, but then took her hand, leading her from the tree. Peter bowed low, his eyes constantly staring at Ariel's beauty. She shimmered in the moonlight as she curtsied, quickly getting up afterwards. For a second, he was gone, but came back with a pouch of pixie dust. Peter sprinkled a tiny amount on his hand and blew it into her hair. They flew up into the star-filled sky and began to dance. He slowly put his hand on her waist, taking her left hand tenderly, their fingers entwining. She pulled in closer, their faces barely inches away. Peter twirled her around, her hair flying about as they flew in the night sky. But once more, she heard fingers snapping and was pulled back into reality._

* * *

"Princess?"

She shook her head, seeing the strange looks on her guests' faces.

"Can you repeat the following, Father?"

"Do you, Prince Eric, future king of Neverland, Atlantica, and our current kingdom, take Princess Ariel, daughter of King Triton, to be her lawful wedded husband?" the priest indicated. Eric smirked, but then said, "How can I refuse? Yes!"

Peter could hear the words being said, waiting for the right timing.

"_Here I come Ariel!" _he thought.

"I... I... I..."

"Say yes or Peter **dies."** Eric snapped in her ears. WHACK, Ariel slapped him in the face.

"I will **never** marry you, **never!**"

"It's time!" the dungeon master shouted. Suddenly, a crow was heard throughout the ship.

"Pan! But how?!" Captain Hook yelled. Ariel smiled brightly, her eyes shimmering with hope.

A sail was torn with a dagger and Peter flew out with incredible speed. He wore a white wedding uniform, its gold buttons glistening from the sun. Peter flew straight at Eric and began to fight him. The Lost Boys and the Indians burst through the cabin door, fighting off the pirates and guards. Sebastian crawled out from the table, grabbed a butcher knife, and threw it at a pirate's head, ending his life quickly. Flounder quickly got out from under the table and grabbed a knife as well, but was stopped by Sebastian, motioning him towards Smee, who was trying to escape. He climbed up the stairs, pointing the knife at Smee.

"Help me rescue Ariel or you'll face the consequences." Flounder threatened. Smee quickly shook his head in response, getting his sword ready. He followed Flounder to the deck of the ship. On the other side, Ariel took shelter near the food table, constantly watching the fight between Eric and Peter.

"You honestly think she wants you?" Eric growled, trying to push Peter back.

"I'm not sure, but I love her and I'm willing to do anything to make her safe!" Peter answered, bashing him to the wall. He stabbed Eric in the leg, flying back from him. Eric fell back, wincing in pain from the wound.

"Give up on invading Neverland and Atlantica, or so help me God, I will murder you on the spot!" Peter demanded. In fear of death, Eric shook his head in agreement.

"Peter!"

His heart lit up. Ariel. Peter flew towards her, helping her up. She immediately jumped him, hugging him tightly. He finished the embrace, caressing the side of her face.

"I love you Peter Pan."

"I love-" Peter began sweetly, but was soon pulled back by Hook's hook and sword.

"Muwhahaha, you think you can defeat me? NEVER!" Hook screamed madly, holding his sword at Peter's neck. Ariel ran over to Eric, grabbing the sword from his belt. She turned towards Hook, who was bewildered by her stunt.

"You think you can beat me? Try me!" Hook declared, dropping Peter harshly. Ariel and Hook began fighting while Eric and Peter stared in amazement.

"She may be feisty, but she is an excellent fighter." Eric declared, but was soon knocked out by Peter's sword. Ariel motioned for Tink to sprinkle pixie dust over her head. She was soon covered with the dust and began flying around Hook.

"You're a good fighter. Did Peter teach you?" Hook mocked.

"No, my father did for my mother." Ariel said, pushing him back to a wall.

"Oh your mother. Hmm, didn't you know?", Hook said,"I am the murderer of your mother." Ariel gasped, seeing the Captain's forget-me-knot eyes turn red with madness. With incredible anger and hatred, Ariel stabbed him in the chest. The Captain began crawling away begging, "Please let me go, I will give you whatever your heart desires."

Ariel stooped over him, with sword in hand. "I want my mother back, you son of a bitch." And with that, the infamous Captain Hook was dead. The rest of his former crew jumped out of the boat with fear and swam away from the ship. Cheers and applause filled the ship as Ariel threw her sword down. Her dress was stained with blood, but it didn't matter to her. Peter was safe; they were both safe. Never again to be bothered with. He flew towards her, but then got to her level.

"What were you trying to tell me?" Ariel said with curiosity. Peter held her close, cupped her face, and kissed her gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not caring if anyone was staring. He let go of the kiss, looking into her blue eyes. "I love you Ariel."

She smiled, kissing him once more. Sebastian began to cry to cry on Carlotta, who pulled out a tissue and gave it to him. The Lost Boys stood proudly, seeing their leader finally happy again.

"Ariel?" a voice said with a thunderous boom.


	13. Chapter 13: From Today

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi! Last chapter was INCREDIBLE! I'm so happy that I'm almost done (spend at least 4 hours trying to figure out the right plot twisters)! Anywho... HERE'S THE DESCRIPTION! So Triton rises above the ocean to try to bring Ariel home, but he convinced by Ariel's memories that not all humans are the same and approves of the couple. I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, or anything else related! ENJOY! :D ©

* * *

"Daddy?!" Ariel commented. She stood close by Peter, who stood with some pride. The merman-king was floating on top of sea-water, looking down sternly at the young couple. Peter held her back as he looked up at the King.

"And who is this man?"

Peter let go of Ariel to bow low to Triton, holding his hat in one hand. "My name is Peter. I am the current Pan of Neverland."

Triton inspected head to toe. His uniform was unharmed, but his hair was messy and red like his own when he was a younger merman. Like the fairies, his stature was a tad smaller than the average man, despite Peter's growth spurt. Yet, he had the aura of a true Pan: determined, loyal, trustworthy, and caring.

"He is a Pan alright. But I'm taking Ariel home; where she belongs. You had no right from taking her away from me."

"I didn't take her away. It was her choice."

Triton fell silent as he looked at Ariel, who took her place by Peter. She entwined her hand with his, holding onto it tightly. "Daddy, I came here because I wanted to. I wanted to be with Peter badly. He's my best friend and love; if you were me, would you have separated by Mom?"

"Well I see you have avenged your mother's death, but that's not the point-"

"He's protected me and has never given up on me-"

"That may be true but-"

"You just don't want me to go because I'm a memory of Mom!" Ariel huffed, leaving Triton speechless. He turned the other way, remembering past memories of Athena. A soft hand was placed on his face and he turned back to Ariel, seeing Athena's spirit within her. "I'm always going to be your little mermaid Daddy. Always."

Triton looked at the couple, who had reflected himself and Athena; two lovers brought together by two different lifestyles. He brought out the Trident, motioning for Ariel to come forward. "Place your hands on the Trident; I want to see what you have experienced."

She clenched her hands onto the Trident, feeling a gust of wind come up from herself and it had cascaded into Triton's mind. He gasped, taking it all in. Triton felt as if he flew with Peter over the waters of Neverland. He had seen Peter being taken as a prisoner on Hook's ship; his heart beating wildly as he saw each memory. Triton saw Eric's castle with the servants and the dungeon master, who held out a comforting hand. He could see a village with all sorts of humans with in it. A little girl was crying until he saw Ariel's handkerchief wipe away her tears. A familiar bayou held Ariel and a prince who tried making advances towards her, but failed in the process.

They had both let go, breathing heavily for air. Triton's eyes welled up as he felt complete empathy for Ariel. "I... never realized that there were some good humans in the world above." Triton said, astonished of what he had seen. "I'm sorry for judging you wrongly Peter Pan."

Ariel slipped into her daddy's arms and hugged him tightly. He responded, hugging her back. "He has proven himself worthy of you. You may stay on land; just don't forget about your family... and me."

"Never Daddy, never."


	14. Part of Your World (Epilogue)

Author's Note: HELLO! Ahh! Triton has approved of Ariel and Peter; yay! Here's the description! A year has passed and there has been serenity throughout Atlantica, Neverland, and the kingdom. We later see an aisle...? You've guessed it; a wedding! I DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, WALT DISNEY, DISNEY, or anything else related! ENJOY! :'D ©

* * *

_A Year Later  
_

After the battle, Hook's previous crew had looked for work, desperate for money. Peter became Captain of this crew, but he was the better leader than the previous Captains.

Peter renamed the Jolly Roger "_Ariel" _in honor for his fiance, the future Queen of Neverland and of Eric's previous kingdom. Out of fear of Peter, Eric had stepped down from the throne, ending his family's reign. Peter and Ariel were beloved by the citizens of the Kingdom and were overjoyed when Peter was crowned King of that kingdom and Neverland.

Along with Ariel, they discovered that pixie dust not only gave a person the power to fly, but the benefits of curing certain diseases that took many lives. In that year alone, there was a higher percentage of human babies being born without any sicknesses. With that, whenever a baby would laugh, the laugh would break into a million pieces, and it would form into a baby fairy. The fairies were pleased at the population percentages, making fairies nevermore a near-extinct species.

Triton had now become allies with several human kingdoms, providing mer-soldiers whenever there was a battle on any of the seven seas. He had also started trading with these kingdoms and the Neverland Indians, who were found of the pearls mer-people would bring up from the fathoms below the seas. Even though the mer-people were making a breakthrough, there was always a few humans who would be disgusted of the mer-people being safe.

Within the year, the dungeon master saw the light in Christianity and became a pastor; Pastor Edenburrow.

Sebastian now became a world-famous composer and conductor; the first one to not be human. He wrote a few operas here and there and conducted Caribbean-style music as a hobby.

Ariel was a beautiful Queen-to-be; she created funds for several orphanages, opened up a brand-new hospital-like facility to her citizens, and was not afraid to be with her own people. She was always at Peter's sides, helping him with several plannings of the kingdom and of Neverland. Ariel had also discovered that with the amount of pixie dust that was used on her, she could now fly without it, like Peter. Besides working with the two kingdoms, she was given a Trident like her father's and would go to Atlantica to visit her family, friends, and royal subjects as a mermaid.

_The Ariel (previously known as the Jolly Roger)_

The Lost Boys stood proudly as they waited for Peter to come above from the bottom deck. They were dressed in their best furs, which were freshly cleaned and smelled of waxy, scented laundry soap. The Twins fixed each others silk-ties while Cubby primped at himself. He looked into a hand-mirror, pleased at his appearance.

Cedar wood creaked as Peter rose to the main deck, smelling the salty air of the ocean. He smiled, knowing that he would become the very first married Pan of Neverland. He more than happy to spend this new life with a former mermaid that changed everything.

For only day, Triton became a human for the sake of Ariel. He dreamed of swimming each of his daughters down the aisle, but Ariel was the youngest out of his six daughters; he never expected to **walk** her down it. Nevertheless, this was her day; the day that would officially make the connection of land and sea.

Triton walked down the deck, meeting Peter at the end. Pastor Edenburrow looked through the pages, finding the wedding ceremony section. Peter stood proudly as Triton gave him a gold-shell necklace, draping it over his neck.

"You are now a part of us. I've always wanted a son." Triton said, laughing. Peter shook his hand and saw Triton heading towards below the deck.

Ariel was having her hair brushed by Carlotta, who put her hair up in an updo that worked wonderfully with her face. Triton entered into the room, banging his head against the ceiling.

"I'm not used to ceilings very much." Triton commented, rubbing his head. Ariel giggled, but went into her father's embrace. Ariel noticed that there was a small-sized box in Triton's big hand. She pulled away, placing her hand on her hip. Triton unlocked the box carefully, revealing its contents. She gasped, recognizing the object: it was her mother's crown.

"I want you to have this. This will be used for everyday purpose, starting today. This is a symbol of your power and your family ties. This is yours now." Triton said, trying to not cry.

He lifted the tiara from the box and placed it onto Ariel's hair. He beamed, seeing how happy she was. Triton offered his arm to her and they went up the stairs. The train of her dress was made of lace and it was flowing. The dress was a simple white with mother-of-pearl embellishments and jewels. In her bouquet, they were from her flower garden in Atlantica. She followed mer-people tradition and had shells within her bouquet.

Beautiful earthy music possessed the guests as Sebastian set up the cue for the Bridal March. Pastor Edenburrow nudged Peter in the arm, acknowledging him of Ariel's presence. She entered in, taking rhythmic steps. Left, right, left, right. Nothing could ruin this; absolutely nothing. Ariel saw her sisters in the sea, waving with happiness. From above, she saw a seagull that lifted Flounder up, who blew her a kiss. In the corner of the ship, Ariel could see Smee blubbering into a handkerchief. She made it down to Peter, waiting for Triton to give her away. He gave Peter a smile as he gave away Ariel to Peter. Ariel entwined her fingers with his gently, her heart racing faster than ever before. He kissed her forehead and turned to the Pastor.

Pastor Edenburrow decided to make the wedding ceremony short, but sentimental for the young couple. He blessed them, letting them say their wedding vows.

"May I please have the rings?" Pastor Edenburrow called out. Tootles shyly walked to Ariel and Peter and held up the ring pillow.

"For all of my life, I've done nothing but go into battles, exploring, or fly around all day. In a way, Neverland's cursed with having time paused. But the most wonderful thing is that I get to spend eternity with you. I love you for your beauty, your intelligence, your kindness and for the way you always know how to make me feel so special. So on top of all the other vows that I will make to you on our wedding day, I also vow to always appreciate how lucky I am to have someone who makes me feel the way you do and to continue to try as hard as I can to make you feel as special as you make me feel, forever and ever. I love you Ariel." Peter vowed, placing a gold wedding bond on her finger.

Ariel began crying, but soon felt Peter's hand wipe away her tears. There were many noises of "Aw" that was called out from the guests.

"Today, a day of music and celebration, I will marry my best friend. The one I will live with, dream with, and love. From this day forward, I will cherish you. I will look with joy down the path of our tomorrows knowing we will walk it together, side by side, hand in hand, and heart to heart. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I will love you forever." Ariel said, placing the other ring on his hand.

"By the power invested in me, you are now husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Ariel jumped into his arms, kissing him. Cheers arose from the guests as they gave a standing ovation. She slid down, holding onto him. She was finally a part of his world.

_The End_


End file.
